Sudan Protests Escalate in Demand for Civilian Rule

Protests in Khartoum, Sudan (AFP)
Protests in Khartoum, Sudan (AFP)
TT

Sudan Protests Escalate in Demand for Civilian Rule

Protests in Khartoum, Sudan (AFP)
Protests in Khartoum, Sudan (AFP)

Thousands of citizens protested in Khartoum on Monday denouncing the violence during Omdurman's rallies a day before that left a protester shot dead with live bullets and dozens injured.

The protesters demanded accountability for those involved in the killing of peaceful civilians in the rallies that have taken place in the country since last October.

Omdurman Resistance Committees announced a million-strong march on Martyr Abdel Azim Street to assert the city's support of the mass movement calling for civilian rule.

Security forces and police used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the protesters who used barricades to protect the march and prevent the security forces from advancing.

Khartoum's Resistance Committees announced popular movements in cities and neighborhoods denouncing the security services' use of excessive violence against peaceful demonstrators.

The Bahri Resistance Committees organized a large march from the al-Moassas area across the Shambat bridge to Martyr Abdel Azim Street to participate in the million-march, expressing their solidarity with Omdurman civilians against police brutality.

The protesters chanted against the military coup, calling for civilian authorities and returning to the democratic transition path through a civilian-led government.

Thousands gathered in a massive protest in eastern Khartoum and marched from the neighborhoods to al-Mashtal Street.

The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD), a non-governmental organization, accused the Sudanese security services of using lethal force against peaceful protests, including killing one person and injuring dozens.

The Committee also accused security forces of obstructing roads and preventing the injured from arriving at hospitals to receive aid, putting some at risk.

In its report on the events of Omdurman, CCSD stated that about 77 people were injured, including three shot with live bullets and 53 with scattered shells. Many protesters were wounded by tear gas canisters and hard objects.

Meanwhile, the Trilateral Mechanism announced its deep concerns about the continued use of excessive forces in protests.

The Mechanism includes United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), African Union, and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

In a statement Sunday, the Trilateral Mechanism warned against the use of excessive force by the Sudanese security forces against peaceful protests and called for credible investigations into the violence.

"The Trilateral Mechanism has consistently called on authorities to stop the violence, release all detainees including members and leaders of resistance committees, stop all arrests, and lift the State of Emergency. Credible investigations of all incidents of violence must also be carried out,” the statement said.

"Creating these conducive conditions are critical for the success of the political process and must be done as a matter of urgency."

In conclusion, the Mechanism, "as facilitators of intra-Sudanese talks, reiterates its readiness to support Sudanese efforts to reach a political solution as soon as possible leading to a return to constitutional order and democratic transition."

More than 96 people were killed, and hundreds were injured during protests against the army's seizure of power in the country.



US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
TT

US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)

The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel," Biden said in the memo.

"While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States."

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military assault in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.